Rhode Island Fishing Report- August 4, 2022

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith reported that they have been seeing a decent pick of fluke on recent full and half day trips, along with a good number of black sea bass. A decent number of limit catches have come on most trips, and most anglers are going home with a nice bag of filets. Trips are filling up fast, especially the weekend trips, so make sure you make a reservation early enough. The full day trips depart at 7 a.m. and the two daily half day trips depart at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.  

Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters told me that the fishing remained hot this week, despite the water temperatures climbing to late August numbers. The big bass have been slightly more selective and are a little tougher to revive after a long fight. With that being said, there has still been some incredible fishing, including easy limits of slot fish and multiple fish over 40 pounds. They are also seeing a solid bycatch of 10- to 15-pound bluefish in the mix. The bottom fishing for fluke and sea bass has been decent, but the bite has transitioned to deep water, around 100-feet. The nearshore/offshore bite is still electric, with bluefin, yellowfin, and mahi all relatively close to shore. They have also heard of cobia on the striper grounds, as well as giant tuna a quarter mile from the beach! It’s that time of year where you never know what to expect! 

Dustin, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures reports that despite the heat wave and the dog days of summer, his clients are still catching some big stripers and bluefish! The bottom fishing hasn’t been lights out but has been steady enough to keep him busy. Bigger sea bass are filtering in locally, there are still a few nice fluke in the mix, and there has been quite a few tautog being caught as by-catch. The summer tautog season opens August 1st, so that will provide another nice table fare option. A big push of chub mackerel has moved in to feed on all the small bait, which portends well for the fall hardtail run! Speaking of the fall run, be sure to book a trip at www.rikfa.com before it’s too late! 

When I spoke to Jay, at Pamela May Charters, he told me that the striper fishing has remained fantastic off Narragansett. Topwater action has been on fire, with easy limits of slot striped bass and some big bluefish coming during both the morning and afternoon hours. These fish have mainly been feeding on small rain bait, so the fly fishing has been successful; but they are also willing to take a large topwater plug. Sea bass fishing has been lock and load on all the local spots, and while the fluking has improved, it is still inconsistent from day to day. They haven’t been out to the island this week but reports of better fluke are still mainly coming from out there. Chub mackerel are still all over the place, but the bonito and false albacore haven’t shown up yet. When the hardtails do make it to the area, it should be a good run based on the amount of small bait in the area.  

Captain Rob, at Newport Sportfishing Charters had a memorable week on the water, with insane action of just about all the species Rhode Island has to offer right now. There has still been no shortage of large striped bass, whether you fish close to home or head out to the island. Slot class fish are easy to come by and catches to 40-pounds have happened on most trips. The bottom fishing has started to gain steam once again, as the fluking improved quite a bit this week in the bay and out front to the west. As for the offshore action, the canyons are still holding strong with multiple species; while the nearshore yellowfin bait has been good most days if you bounce around a bit.  

Crafty One Customs reports that the summer patterns still prevail in the area, with solid striped bass fishing out front, despite the warm weather. Big bass are still relatively easy to find but be sure to take your time swimming/reviving the fish before release, as the water is getting dangerously warm. Fluke fishing has picked up a bit locally, but the best reports are still coming from the windmills. The tuna bite has remained pretty good from Tuna Ridge to the Dump, but the sharks have started to take over. The sharks have gotten so aggressive they are starting to hit jigs intended for tuna instead of just following your tuna to the boat. That being said, anglers are still reporting steady catches of mainly yellowfin on most trips. There have been some rumors of bonito coming from inshore anglers, but nothing has been substantiated just yet.  

Will, at Big Bear Hunting and Fishing reported that local trout anglers are starting to look to the deeper ponds and/or the faster moving streams due to the recent heatwave. Largemouth bass, however, don’t seem to be affected much by the heat, with strong topwater reports coming from most of the lakes and ponds in the state. The shop is now fully stocked with all your freshwater bait and tackle needs. Will also mentioned that he is setting up a fishing club through the shop, and all members will receive 10% off at the shop, along with several tournaments set up through the Fishing Chaos App. Reach out to the shop directly for more information on the club! 

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Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

The extreme heat wave is back, but the summer fishing patterns remain steady. The heat wave seemingly slowed the striper fishing for the first time this year, but better reports are starting to trickle in for Rhode Island and Connecticut anglers. Bottom fishing has hit its summer pattern, with slower but steady results, while the offshore bite was starting to materialize before the recent blow. 

Rhode Island anglers can still find some big bass hanging out in the bay and across the South County shoreline, but the typical summer big bass bite at Block Island has been the safest bet. If you don’t want to travel too far, you shouldn’t have an issue finding some solid striped bass on the reefs and rips off Newport, and in/around the South County breachways. The best bet for fluke is still to steam out to the island, although local reports have improved for the first time this year, and there is no shortage of sea bass and scup close to home. Reports of some nice tautog have also started to come in for those that are targeting them. Offshore reports remain very prosperous, with strong yellowfin reports, some decent bluefin reports, and no shortage of sharks.